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William Heath Robinson
An original British 20th Century drawing by British illustrator Heath Robinson

1921

About the Item

William Heath Robinson (British, 1872-1944) 'The Friendly Dog' Signed 'W. Heath Robinson.' (lower right) Pen and ink on paper 11 X 8.1/2in. (28 X 21.7cm.) (excluding frame) 46 x 38cm. (18.1/4 x 15in. (including frame) Literature: 'Old Time Stories', Constable and Co. 1921, P. 143 William Heath Robinson was an artist and illustrator mainly associated with his gloriously complicated inventions for simple objectives. The name Heath Robinson has become commonplace in the English language as a result to describe anything mechanical that is eccentric, ridiculously complex and ingenious at the same time . Interestingly one of the automatic analysis machines built for Bletchley Park during the Second World War to assist in the decryption of German message traffic was named "Heath Robinson" in his honour. It was a direct predecessor to the Colossus, the world's first programmable digital electronic computer The Heath Robinson museum has recently been opened in Pinner, North London, aided partly by Lottery funding and houses similar works to these examples.
  • Creator:
    William Heath Robinson (1872 - 1944, British)
  • Creation Year:
    1921
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11.03 in (28 cm)Width: 8.55 in (21.7 cm)Depth: 0.4 in (1 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Good condition, small dirt spots upper middle right. Slight creases on close inspection, otherwise in good condition. In a simple gilded frame behind glass in a double mount, the outer mount light grey.
  • Gallery Location:
    Petworth, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU54031640163
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